


Guardian of the Whills

by MrJenfysNest



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo Lives, F/M, Happy Ending, I made some things up because if JJ can then so can I, KyloTrashForever told me to tag that, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Rose Tico just wants to have fun, Smutty Epilogue because I was coerced, Spoiler: it features a cum dyad, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:54:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22283704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrJenfysNest/pseuds/MrJenfysNest
Summary: In the sacred Jedi texts there is talk of a temple. Next to the passage on this sacred place there is a small sketch—the symbol of the dyad. Rey journeys to the Temple of the Whills in the search for an answer to a question that has been plaguing her since that fateful night on Exegol—Is it possible to save Ben Solo?
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 30
Kudos: 164





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JenfysNest](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenfysNest/gifts).



> I promised my wife I’d write my first fic ever for her birthday. After seeing how TRoS affected her, I decided to make it a fix-it because I wanted to give the characters she loves so much a happy ending. 
> 
> (There is a smutty epilogue that I was coerced into writing that will be posted tomorrow. 😬)
> 
> *Thank you to KyloTrashForever and Ever-so-reylo for beta reading. I appreciate your help and encouragement. Also, KyloTrashForever made an awesome moodboard. (It made me feel very official.)

* * *

* * *

  
  
Rey stares out of the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon, lost in thought, floating in a vast sea of blue as the Corellian YT freighter sails through hyperspace. Rose walks through the entrance to the cabin and sits down at the helm, exhausted. They have been traveling for days now, heading for an ancient Temple of the Whills. A place that Rey hopes will ultimately provide the answer to a question that has been plaguing her mind since that fateful night on Exegol— _is it possible to save Ben Solo?_

Solitude is something that Rey actively avoids. After the Battle of Exegol, when the twin sabers were laid to rest at the Lars homestead on the Outer Rim world of Tatooine, Rey decided that she could not, would not, live alone anymore. She returned to Ahch-To. There, alongside Finn and Jannah, Rey was attempting to start a new Jedi Order. Rey had found the family that she had longed for in her friends within the Resistance—but something was missing. The void that was left behind when Ben faded away in her arms was unimaginable. Ben Solo, Prince of Alderaan, former Supreme Leader of The First Order, gave his life for hers. Out of love. The love was mutual, after all. The moment Rey returned to the world of the living, she manifested that love into a kiss. A kiss that she can still feel on her lips. She felt safe. She felt _loved_. But all of it vanished in an instant as Ben faded into darkness, and all that remained was a worn sweater with a hole gifted by a strike from the cross-bladed lightsaber of Kylo Ren. Rey knows that Ben Solo would travel to the ends of the galaxy for her, and she is no different. They are a dyad in the Force. Two halves of a whole.

Hence, her journey into the unknown.

Luckily for Rey, she is not alone on this journey. Her friend, war hero Rose Tico, insisted on joining her, alongside loyal astromech BB-8, and D-0, the rescued droid from Pasaana. Rey has come to find that Rose absolutely loves adventure—always the first to volunteer to join Rey on any necessary missions and excursions. Rose brings a certain joy and energy with her wherever she goes, and Rey couldn’t be more grateful she is with her on this particular quest.

Rose comes up behind Rey, and clears her throat to break the silence. “Mind if I join you in blankly staring into the abyss?”

Rey looks up and smiles. “That would be very much appreciated.” Rey doesn’t really open up to anyone, especially about what happened that night, but Rose is different. She feels safe with Rose, and she knows that she, more than anyone else, will understand what she is feeling. The void. Rose understands loss all too well. Her sister, Paige, also sacrificed herself for the greater good, and that loss is a pain that never goes away. So, Rose knows. She knows about Rey and Ben, and everything he did for her. How he came back to the light. How he sacrificed himself to give her back her life. “How long until we reach Anistemi?”

“Well, it’s only about ten parsecs away, but we lost a bit of fuel when we ran into the asteroid field in the Aphram Belt. We will have to stop at the nearest inhabited system and refuel.” Rose offers her wry grin. “And maybe get a drink or two.”

Rey grins even wider. “That sounds like a plan to me.” She looks down at the Holomap. “It appears the nearest system that would suit our needs is Farinata, specifically its largest satellite moon, Farinata Major.”

Rose springs up in her seat, excited at the possibility of exploring a new world. “I’ll adjust our trajectory. We should arrive by morning.”

Rey doesn’t sleep much this night. Her mind races with a thousand queries for what awaits her on Anistemi. _Were the Sacred Jedi texts right? Is the temple still standing? How will I find it? Why did Master Luke draw a sketch of the dyad? Does it mean I can save Ben? If so, what will I say? What will I do?_

After all this time, after all her studying—she is about to find the answers within a matter of days, and that terrifies her.

* * *

When the Falcon drops out of hyperspace, they make their way to the satellite below, a forest moon. Rey loves worlds that flourish with life. She recalls the first time she laid eyes on the verdant planet of Takodana, what feels like a lifetime ago, and it’s a novelty that doesn’t wear off. They enter the crystal clear atmosphere, and after a brief Holonet search, they decide on their destination. The Kasdania Spaceport is located at the center of a dense forest with colossal trees that appear to scrape the skies above. A real scughole that is sure to have two things: reasonably priced fuel and cheap hooch.

They land in docking bay 421 and quickly make arrangements with the fuel meister to have the ship ready in a few hours. Just enough time to unwind in Wald’s Cantina. Rey fetches the droids and meets Rose in the alleyway beside the port. They make their way to the Cantina through the dense crowd of the marketplace. A plethora of audacious vendors are out selling their wares. There is a Japor vendor that specializes in ornate jewelry, and a makeshift haberdashery that sells overpriced headwear. There is even a woodworker that sells handmade figurines of a bearded warrior wielding an all too familiar laser sword with Aurebesh text inscribed into each one that translated to: The Spark. _Luke._ Tears well in Rey’s eyes, but she pushes forward.

The thirsty travelers finally reach their destination. When they walk into the dimly lit Cantina, they spot a stout Rodian behind the bar, a very jolly fellow. “Hello, wayward travelers, take a seat, we’ll be right with ya!”

Rose grabs a datapad menu from the bar, and they make it to a nearby booth. Rey wants to keep it simple, but Rose is here to live her best life. She is going for the Gamorrean Battleaxe. Rey takes another look at the menu and hones in on a decision. Blue Milk on the rocks, with a side of local mead.

They receive their drinks and begin to pass the time. They exchange stories of their adventures over the last year. In what Rey is sure is an effort to keep the conversation from veering towards Ben, Rose keeps Rey laughing with tales of missions gone awry which mostly end with Finn making an absolute fool of himself. The conversation, as it often does, drifts its focus towards the Force, which means that Rose is going to try to talk Rey into using the Force in ways that would make Master Luke blush.

Rose is barely able to contain her laughter.“Okay, so, you see that pompous looking human mouth-breather trying to win over that Twi’lek in the back corner?”

Rey turns. “Yes. And no. I will _not_ do whatever it is your sick mind wants me to do.”

Rose practically begs, “Come on, Rey, just this once, then we’ll leave.”

Rey knows she’s going to give in. She always does when it comes to Rose. She pauses another second before she smiles and says, “Fine, what is it now?”

Rose grins mischievously, “Oh, yes. Okay, so there’s a large bowl of Klaatooinian salt next to his drink. I want it all in there. In the drink.”

Rey rolls her eyes, but for the sake of bringing joy to her friend, she obliges. Rey lifts her right hand and makes a tapping motion, causing the would-be-casanova to turn around. While his attention is diverted, Rey lifts her other hand, and with a swift flick of her wrist, the bowl of salt lifts off of the table and its contents are emptied into his cocktail. The mouth-breather, confused when he can’t make out who tapped him on the shoulder, turns back around and takes a giant swig of his drink. In an instant his eyes go wide and he spits out the huge mouthful all over the Twi’lek, causing her to walk away in disgust. The man, red with embarrassment and covered in whatever concoction he was drinking, looks around in a combination of confusion and anger.

Rey and Rose laugh quietly in their booth. Rey, takes one final sip to finish her mead before standing. “Okay Rose, I think that’s enough fun for tonight. No more misusing the Force. Let’s head back to the ship.”

Rose agrees. They pay their tab, gather the droids, and make their way out of the Cantina.

They exit the catina into the damp night air, walking through the marketplace back to their ship. What was once swarming with merchants and customers is now eerily quiet, with all of the shops closed for the night. They’re only halfway to the Falcon, when a large man sneaks up behind them and grabs Rose. He pulls out a blaster and holds it to her head. Rey turns quickly to face their attacker. BB-8 whirs, and D-0 lets out a panicked: “No, thank you.”

As soon as she sees his face, Rey recognizes the man. It’s the human from the Cantina. Now, getting a closer look, she spots a unique tattoo on his neck. The symbol of the Sith Eternal.

“I know what you are, and I’m not afraid of your sorcery,” he spits out, pressing the barrel of the blaster into Rose’s skin.

“Sith Trooper?” Rey asks. 

The man nods, sneering in her direction.

Rey, without hesitation, waves her hand in front of his face. “You will drop the blaster, and let go of the girl.”

The former Sith Trooper laughs—the sound of it loud in the relative quiet of the empty marketplace. “That doesn’t work on me, Jedi—”

Before he can finish speaking, Rey summons the blaster, yanking it from his grasp, causing him to let go of Rose in the process. He reaches from behind and pulls out another blaster and fires at Rey. She ignites her saber and deflects the blaster fire. It strikes the man in his right hand, disarming the attacker while destroying the appendage at the same time. The soft amber glow from her saber lights the darkness around them. She begins to walk closer, but the man stumbles to his feet and scurries away.

Rey redirects her attention to her startled friend. “Are you okay?”

Rose is shaken. “I... I’m fine. I’m so sorry Rey, I had no idea who he was or how that would escalate. I just thought it would be funny.”

“It’s okay, Rose. He was literally going to kill you over spilled salt, I did what I had to do.” She deactivates the saber. “Let’s get to the Falcon before any of his friends show up.”

They quickly arrive back at Docking Bay 421. Rey pays the fuel meister, and within moments they are back on their ship, ready to resume their journey. BB-8 rolls up to Rey and informs her that the navigation computer claims that they will arrive on Anistemi at some point tomorrow evening, depending on who is driving. The navigation computer can be _very_ judgemental at times.

Rey makes her way out of the cockpit her stomach in knots. She should be heading to sleep, but she has a feeling another sleepless night is in store.

* * *

The next morning is full of preparation for their arrival. Rey also takes this as an opportunity to once again review the texts that led her to this sacred place—but searching for any clues of the Temple’s exact location turns out to be a fool’s errand. A scribbled note left by her former Master, Luke, confirms that the Temple is indeed on Anistemi, but all other information as to its location is vague at best. Finding it will be challenging, to say the least.

BB-8 lets out a series of hurried beeps.

“It looks like we are about to drop out of hyperdrive,” Rey exclaims.

Once they drop out of hyperspace, they are greeted by what appears to be a dead planet, with minimal life forms appearing on the scanners. The terrain is made up of reddish clay with spiky peaks that stretch from one end of the horizon to the other. They make their descent and find an appropriate landing area. When they exit the Falcon, Rose takes out her binocs and investigates their surroundings. From as far as the eye can see the sky is made up of a brilliant shade of orange. An everlasting sunrise. There’s a pang in Rey’s heart when she finds herself wondering if Ben would find it beautiful.

Shaking her head and putting her mind back on the task at hand, Rey requests BB-8 to map out their surroundings and construct a holomap for their journey. After a moment, BB-8 builds a map to the best of his ability. One look at it and Rey knows it’s a dead end, with no further clues as to where to look. With no immediate new clues and no clear starting point, Rey and Rose decide to rest for the night, regroup and try to find a solution in the morning.

* * *

Rey wakes in the morning and decides her first order of business is meditation. She desperately tries to reach out with the Force for answers, for _guidance_. Sadly, there is no answer. No cosmic direction of where to find the Temple. She feels lost. She pulls out the aged Texts to read them again in the event she missed something. She cracks open the first volume, but before she can even begin reading, she hears a wrapping coming from the hull of the ship. Someone or _something_ is knocking. Rey peers out of the cockpit and sees that a small humanoid is waiting patiently outside of the ship. Upon first glance, she is unaware of their species or origin, she doesn’t know their purpose. All she has is a feeling. A feeling that pushes her to _go._

Over the protests of Rose, still shaken by their _last_ interaction with a stranger, Rey grabs her wool poncho and exits the Falcon. D-0 rolls up to Rose and once again exclaims, “No, thank you.”

When Rey reaches the end of the boarding ramp she pauses, waiting for word from this stranger she feels so drawn to. “Who are you?” the stranger asks.

“My name is Rey, and I am here seeking out a Temple. A Temple of the Whills. Does this mean anything to you?”

The stranger walks closer to Rey. She can now make out features. He is a small feline humanoid—an Ailouros. He stands about five feet tall, with a brilliant combination of orange, white, and black making up his fur, with foot-long whiskers reaching out from both sides of his face. He is dressed in familiar white and tan robes and wields a walking stick taller than himself. “Does it mean anything to me?” he repeats. “Dear Rey, it means _everything_ to me. You see,” he continues, “the Force works in mysterious ways. I was told you would be here at this exact moment.” He smiles. “And now I shall take you to what you seek.”

Rey is almost speechless. “Th...Thank you. What is your name, sir?”

He begins walking toward the Falcon, and on his way up the boarding ramp stops, and bows to Rey. “Charonus. At your service.”

Rey and Charonus enter the Falcon. After brief introductions to both Rose and the droids, they take flight with Charonus as the navigator. BB-8 informs Rey that the Falcon’s navigational computer is unsurprisingly taking great offense to this. Rey presses on despite the objection, and within two hours they reach their destination.

It is a structure etched into the side of an immense cliff. If she’d had to rely only on the few clues in the Texts, it would’ve taken Rey years to find it on her own. Along the structure are large statues of the Jedi of old, and behind the statues stand ornate columns carved from the mountainside. From her studying, Rey deduces that these Jedi were perhaps the first members of the first Jedi Council from the Old Republic. Rey, Rose, Charonus, and the droids exit the ship and make their way towards the entrance to the Temple.

“Why are you here, young Rey? Why do you seek this temple?”

Rey pauses, deciding how to phrase what it is she so desperately needs. “I’m here to find an answer. An answer to a very important question.”

Charonus tilts his head and levels a curious expression at her. “And what would that question be?”

Rey takes a deep breath, and in her mind she keeps repeating _Be with me, be with me._ “I’ve lost someone I care about deeply—someone I love. A former Jedi,” she continues, “I want to know how to bring him back. We were a dyad in the Force, and ever since he’s been lost, I’ve felt incomplete. _Empty_. Can you please help me?”

“Resurrections are nearly impossible, my dear,” he informs her gently, and Rey’s heart clenches. She’s come all this way. She feels deflated, _defeated_. He continues, “But there may be another way. Follow me.”

Charonus leads them deep into the Temple. It is a vast structure. Giant pillars stretch hundreds of feet into the air, meeting the top of the cavern. Elaborate mosaics adorn the walls and ceilings, telling stories of good versus evil from a long time ago. After walking what seems like an eternity, they come to a halt. There is a familiar image standing before Rey. It is the same mosaic that graced the floor of the first Jedi Temple on Ach-To: an image that encapsulates the relationship between Rey and Ben. The yin and yang. The dyad. The balance of light and dark that flows through everything.

“Young Rey. This is a gateway,” he explains. “A gateway that I would dare to say few, if any, have entered. In all my time as guardian here I have never seen it opened. But there can be no question; this gate exists for a reason. And if you are what you say you are, I suspect that reason is you.”

“A gate?” Rey asks.

“It’s a gate to a world. A world _between_ worlds. A plane of existence that houses the souls of fallen Jedi and those intrinsically connected with the Force.” Rey is speechless as Charonus continues, “Each gate is unique. Each gate serves its own purpose, as do we all. The purpose of this gate is rebirth.”

At his words, Rey is suddenly filled with hope. “How does it work? How can it be opened?”

“This gate is special in that it can only be opened with the two. The dyad. A dyad is not meant to be halved. Together here _or_ there, but together you must be. So, you must reach out with your feelings, Rey. Commune with the Fallen. You must place your hand at the heart of the gate at the same time as the one trapped in the world between worlds. Two keys, one gate.” Charonus smiles. “I can see that you, Rey, have the heart of a true Jedi. Now let’s mend it.”

Rey turns to Rose and embraces her. The enormity of the situation is not lost on either of them and when they pull away from each other, both are in tears. “If this doesn’t work, Rose... I don’t know what I will do. I need him. I _love_ him with every fiber of my being.”

Rose brings up her hands, taking Rey’s face in them and gently wiping away her tears. “Well, then go tell Ben yourself. Then come back. _Both_ of you. I believe in you, Rey. May the Force be with you.”

Rey bends down and adjusts BB-8’s antenna—her life so different from the first time she did it. She looks on him through the tears in her lashes. “I’ll be back old friend.”

She turns to D-0, who begins spinning. “Good friend, Rey. Good friend,” he repeats.

“Yes, D-0, good friend,” she chokes out through a held-back sob.

Rey stands, turns towards the gate and slowly, carefully, begins to walk forward. She stops in front of it and turns back to Charonus, who gives her an encouraging nod of approval. She turns, faces the gate and takes a deep, steadying breath.

She reaches out with her feelings. She calls out to Ben. _“Be with me, be with me, be with me.”_ She pictures him, sees his smile, the only one he ever gave her, and she reaches out, her hand touching the cobbled stone of the gate.

Nothing happens.

She feels the coldness of the wall on her palm and begins to panic. It’s not working. Nothing is happening. She is so close now. Giving up is _not_ an option. With a visceral scream, something that comes from deep inside her, something she can’t even control, she shouts: “ _Ben_!”

Suddenly the cold wall has warmth. The fear she felt only moments ago is turning into hope. Around the mural a bright circle appears, forming a gate. Above the bright circle, images of a flaming bird race along the edge, circling the gate. The wall begins to fade away under her palm. Her hand suddenly reaches through and meets the warmth of another, one that pulls her through. Rey is now inside the gate. Inside the World Between Worlds, and standing in front of her, is Ben Solo.

Ben pulls Rey to him, and they embrace. His arms are strong, his body is solid, and he is _there._ The embrace is followed by a kiss, and unlike that fateful day on Exegol, this time, he is the one who kisses _her_. It is soft and much too short.

Ben speaks. “Rey, but… How is this possible?” Rey looks up at him and smiles. Ben has dreamt of her smile from the moment he entered this place. “Rey, there’s so much I’ve wanted to tell you.” His joy is usurped by a sudden wave of concern. “Rey, if you’re here, does this mean that you’ve…”

Rey catches her breath. “I’m fine Ben. The Force brought me to you, and I swear I would have kept searching until I didn’t have a breath left in my body.” She looks him directly in his eyes and grabs his hands in hers. “I love you Ben Solo, and I’ve come to bring you home.”

Rey takes a moment and scans her surroundings. It looks like open space, but there is structure, endless pathways. She sees many gates similar to the one she crossed through. Echoes of Jedi long gone can be heard all around them. The same voices she heard during the battle of Exegol. She also takes another moment to inspect Ben. He is now adorned with Jedi Robes and tunic.

“These suit you, Ben,” Rey says with a smile as she tugs on his tunic.

“I kind of left my clothes back on Exegol,” Ben jokes. “So I had a little help with these from a generous Jedi who was passing through.” He looks down, more serious. “Rey, I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am. For everything. For every time I’ve hurt you, or someone you loved. I’m deeply sorry, and I am going to make it my purpose to make things right.”

Rey reaches up and caresses his cheek. “Ben, you and I are one. I love you. You were corrupted. Poisoned by Snoke—by Palpatine. Kylo Ren did those horrible things. Kylo Ren is dead. Ben Solo _lives_.” She leans up and gives him a quick kiss. A soft touch of her mouth to his. “Now, let’s go home.”

Ben follows Rey back to the gate she just entered through. “I’ve tried this before, Rey. None of these gates open from this end, at least none that I have tried. If we both need to open the gate from each side, how are we going to get back?”

Rey grins. “I’ve got this Solo. Two keys, one gate.” She presses her palm against the heart of the gate, and with her encouragement, Ben follows suit. Within seconds, the bright circle lined with flaming birds begins to whirl.

The gate is opened, and they pass through.

* * *

Rose paces frantically in front of the gate within the Temple. “It’s been over an hour, and we’ve heard nothing from Rey. There has to be some way we can help.”

Charonus responds, “I’m sorry child, there is noth—”

Before he can finish speaking, the gate begins to whirl, and almost instantly, Rey and Ben appear before her and Charonus.

Rose rushes to Rey and wraps her arms around her. “What took you so long?” She asks playfully, fighting back tears.

“Rose, there is someone I’d like you to meet.” She turns and looks and Ben, encouraging him to come closer. “This is Ben. Ben Solo.”

There is a just a second of hesitation from Rose, but it is fleeting. She realizes, just as Rey, that Kylo Ren is dead. Ben Solo, the man who rushed into the Emperor’s lair with nothing but a blaster, the man who gave up his own life to save Rey—he deserves a second chance. “Nice to meet you, Ben. I’ve heard so much about you. _So much_. I mean Rey wouldn’t stop tal—”

Rey clears her throat to interrupt. “Okay, that’s quite enough, Rose.”

Ben replies through a smile, “Nice to meet you too, Rose.”

Charonus walks towards Ben. “Welcome back, son. You’ve been lost for far too long. The Galaxy needs you.”

Ben asks, “And who might you be?”

Charonus shoots him a sly grin, “My boy, I’ve guarded this Temple for centuries. I am the last Guardian of the Whills.”

“I remember the Whills from my training with Master Luke,” Ben says, then looks down in shame.

Charonus reaches up with his walking stick and lifts Ben’s chin. “Keep your eyes up, my boy. Your future lies ahead. There’s no sense in living in yesterday.” Charonus walks away, speaking to them over his shoulder, his voice echoing in the cavernous temple. “These halls have been vacant for far too long. The Force has been awakened, and the last Jedi stand before me.” He turns to Rey. “Continue the search for those who are one with the Force, for you two are the seeds of the new Jedi Order. This Temple is yours, if you’ll take it.”

Rey throws an astonished look towards Ben. “I...I don’t know what to say, Charonus.”

The old Guardian laughs. “Say yes.”

Rey looks at Ben, who nods.

“Yes. Yes, we will use this Temple to forge a new generation of Jedi.”

Rey knows it will be a new kind of order. One that has learned from the mistakes of the past. One that will be built on lessons from prior failures.

Charonus smiles. “And I will be there to guard it.”

As they all leave the Temple, Rey walks over to Ben. “Ben, there’s something I want to give you. It belonged to your father, and I know he would want you to have it.”

She reaches into her pocket and grabs something to place it in Ben’s palm. When he looks down, his eyes land on a pair of gold dice. His father’s lucky dice. Ben is overcome with emotion. His eyes fill with tears, and when he looks back to Rey, the tears start to fall as he closes his fist back around the memento.

“I think there’s something else he would have wanted you to have.” She leads the way and Ben follows her down a pathway until they come to a stop. She points ahead.

“The Falcon,” Ben mutters.

“It’s yours, Ben.”

He lowers his head and shakes it a little as if he can’t believe what’s happening. “Rey, I don’t know what to say.” The words are choked as he says them.

Rey grins that toothy grin of hers. “Say yes, Ben. Say _yes_.”

“I don’t deserve this, Rey. Any of it.”

Rey steps in closer to Ben and looks him in his eyes. “You deserve the Galaxy, Ben Solo.”

Ben pulls Rey in for a kiss. With an everlasting sunrise behind them, there is a promise of a new home. A new beginning.

A new hope.


	2. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just a smutty epilogue because I was sworn to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jen, 
> 
> Roses are red, violets are blue.  
> Here’s the smut I promised, happy birthday to you.

* * *

  
It has been almost a week now since Rey rescued Ben from his exile in the World Between Worlds. Since that day, she has taken ownership of reintegrating Ben Solo back into the Galaxy. This meant spending hours upon hours breathlessly convincing her fellow Resistance members that Kylo Ren ceased to exist, and that Ben Solo had returned to the light. She had some help from Rose who knew the truth of what happened on Exegol, and together, they managed to make great inroads.

The hardest to sway, perhaps not surprisingly, was General Poe Dameron. After Rey explained to him that Leia would want nothing more than for her only son to have a second chance, Poe reconsidered. Even after her loss, Leia is still a guiding light for the galaxy. If Luke was the Spark, Leia was the Beacon.

So, with Rose’s help, Rey and Ben had been hard at work traveling back and forth between base and Anistemi laying the foundation for their new Jedi training grounds that Rey aptly named, The Temple of the Phoenix. The future certainly looks bright for the new Jedi order.

Now, with final preparations done, Rey and Ben drop Rose and the droids back at Ajan Kloss, and head off together on the Falcon. Their next mission is of much import. Ben is in need of a new saber, therefore he is also in need of a new Kyber crystal. Kyber is not nearly as easy to find as it was in the days of old. Most of the planets rich in Kyber were mined by the Empire, and then the First Order. Luckily for them, allies of The Resistance have recently struck a vein rich in Kyber on Lothal.

Once Rey says her goodbyes to Rose and raises the boarding ramp, she walks into the cockpit and finds Ben staring out of the viewport of the Falcon, lost in thought.

“Ready for the trip, Mr. Solo?” Rey playfully asks with a tap on his shoulder before taking a seat behind the controls.

She can sense the shift in his demeanor. She can feel his sudden anxiousness, his awkwardness. “Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m just about ready.”

Rey finds his reaction a bit odd, but doesn’t focus on it too much. She makes the final preparations, sets the coordinates in the hyperdrive, and they are off.

* * *

Rey has spent most of her time in the cockpit, alternating between studying the texts for what they have to say about Kyber and watching the bright blue glow of hyperspace through the viewport. Ben left the cockpit hours ago and hasn’t said a word to her since. She can sense some tension in him and she’s kept to herself, wanting to give him space, but Rey is starting to get concerned.

She closes the text she is reading and makes her way out of the cockpit. She finds Ben sitting at the dejarik table.

“Mind if I have a seat?”

Ben looks visibly stressed. “Uh, sure, that's fine.”

Rey can’t take it anymore. She needs to know what is plaguing Ben’s mind. “Ben, what’s wrong? Is it something I’ve said? Something I’ve done? Did I push you too hard to go on this mission? Was it too soon? _Please, tell me_.”

Ben looks down at the black game board. “It’s not you, Rey. You’re... perfect.” Rey is taken aback by his sentiment. She can feel her cheeks heat at his words, but Ben continues. “Rey, you know how much I… you know how much I love you. And finally being alone with you on this ship now, I’m having all of these _feelings_. And I’ve never been good at expressing those kinds of things.”

Rey, already knowing the answer, because she feels it too, asks, “What kind of feelings Ben?”

He stammers, “I, uh…” He takes a deep breath. “Romantic feelings—” He pauses before he continues. “You know… _physical_ feelings. But I feel ridiculous, because I don’t know what to do about any of it because…” He sighs deeply. “I’ve never… Kriff, I’ll just say it. I’m a virgin, Rey.”

Rey has lived a life of isolation on Jakku. There was never an opportunity for love or romance, considering that every day her main goal was to scavenge enough junk to be able to eat. Rey had impulses, just as everyone does, but she always took care of it herself. Never once had she let someone in. So, Ben’s revelation comes as something of a relief. She is feeling the same feelings for Ben as he is feeling for her—has been since he’s been back. But saying anything—doing anything—was a step she wasn’t sure how to take.

Rey stands up from the table and walks slowly towards Ben, stopping right in front of him. She cradles his head in her hands. He leans into her touch. “Ben. It’s okay. I’m a virgin too.”

Ben slowly rises to his feet. His large frame towers over her. She gazes up at him with the same look that she had in the elevator on Snoke’s Supremacy. Rey reaches up and pulls Ben closer to her. This time when they kiss, it’s full of all that longing and passion that they’ve held inside themselves since the night in the hut on Ahch-To. It starts with the lips, but soon Ben begins to move his mouth, kissing down to Rey’s neck as his hands run softly down her back.

“Is this what you want, Rey?” Ben whispers into her ear.

Rey, looks up at him with her big brown eyes, “More than anything, Ben.”

It’s all he needs to hear to know that she wants this too. Ben lifts her up and sits her on the dejarik table while continuing to kiss her. He kisses her mouth and neck as he reaches down and slowly removes her ivory-colored pants to toss them to the floor. She spreads her legs wider, making room for him, and when he pulls his lips from hers and looks down, he gasps when he sees her soaking slit bare before him.

He leans forward and slowly slides in a finger, eliciting a small moan from Rey. Her eyes are shut, and her mouth is open when he leans down and begins to kiss her again. He moves his finger through her, pulling more soft moans from her, and soon enough, he pushes in a second. After a few more moments, when he feels her so much wetter and her moans are that much louder, he slides in a third finger, causing her body to writhe on the table.

“Rey, I’m sorry, did I hurt you? God, Rey, I just want to make you feel good.”

Rey’s head is spinning. “No. Ben, it feels _so good._ I want—”

“What do you want, Rey?”

“I want you… I want you to taste me now.” She hopes she doesn’t sound too desperate, too forward.

Ben removes his wet, dripping fingers from her warmth. He leans over her, reaches down, and makes short work of her tunic. Rey’s perfect breasts are now exposed, and he stares in wonder as her nipples harden in the cold air of the space around them. He leans down and begins to softly suck her nipples, first one, and then the other while Rey continues to squirm desperately on the table.

She leans back as Ben begins to kiss down her body towards her entrance. He leans down and spreads her legs wider, exposing her slick cunt. He uses his thick fingers to spread her open, lowers his head, and begins to move his tongue through her—from her entrance, saturated with her arousal, up to the swollen nub that makes her cry out even louder. Rey moans as she reaches down and grabs a handful of his hair. He loves to hear the noises she makes. Just the sound of them send his blood rushing south. Making his pants grow tighter.

“You taste so good, Rey. _So good_.”

Rey can feel that familiar feeling from those lonely nights on Jakku, and she knows she’s going to come. “I want you inside of me, Ben,” she moans. “ _Please_.”

Ben lifts his head and stands before her, shakily pulling down his pants. He’s nervous, but even with all the nerves, he’s _so hard_. He wants to give Rey what she’s asking for. He grabs her by the ankles and spreads her legs around him. He takes his cock in hand and gently inches it into her wet entrance. Rey lets out a soft whimper when he’s finally fully seated inside her.

“Are you okay, Rey?” He asks, and he sounds pained with the effort of not moving.

Rey looks at him with tears in her eyes and says, “God yes, Ben. Go. Don’t stop.”

Ben begins to thrust into her warmth. Slowly at first, and then increasing in speed and force. He can feel her wetness wrapped around his cock. He’s dripping with what he’s done to her, the sound of their bodies colliding echo throughout the Falcon.

“I’m about to come, Ben. I’m so close.”

The thought of Rey coming brings Ben to his tipping point. He is ready to burst. Rey begins to quiver in his arms, her legs jerking around his hips. Ben feels her cunt squeezing his cock like a vice grip. So tight. So _wet_. She lets out a visceral moan, and just the sound of it ringing in his ears causes Ben to come right after her. He’s shaking, all the while painting her inner walls with his cum. He continues to thrust, to plunge himself inside of her, and only when her moaning wanes, does he slow his thrusts down. He kisses her softly while he slowly pulls out of her, causing their combined cum to pour out of her onto the table.

They are both breathing heavily now, holding each other and trying to process what just happened.

Rey looks up at Ben, and he can feel her contentment through the Force.

“I love you, Ben Solo.”

Ben smiles sweetly. “I know.”

* * *

Ben sits in the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon. He pulls his father’s lucky dice from his pocket and hangs them above the controls. Rey walks in behind him, and when he turns to look at her, she’s wearing nothing but his worn sweater from Exegol. She sits in his lap, wraps her arms around his shoulder and gives him a kiss.

“You ready for our next adventure, Solo?” Rey asks.

“I look forward to each and every one of them, Rey. I look forward to having you by my side even more.”

Rey smiles. “I know. You know,” she continues, “we still have at least 12 parsecs until we get to Lothal…”

Ben grins. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

Rey gets up. “If you are thinking that we have just enough time for another round of dejarik, then yes. Follow me.”

She pulls Ben up from his seat and leads him to their next adventure.


End file.
